We are reaching the business end of the swimming year. Galas coming along like your banana bus route, none for ages and a bunch arrive together!
The time invested by parents, coaches and most importantly the children comes together at Gala weekend. The children have a great time, pre-race heeby jeebies, post race injuries and the odd disappointment apart.
But for the parents, whilst we love watching our children achieve, it can be a long weekend.
We are used to getting out of bed early to get the bag ready: the energy bars, the sports drinks, the pastilles,Oh …and the swimmers food as well!
We turn up full of anticipation, but we know there is an hour and a half warm up. We buy the programme and scroll down and down and down and down, our swimmer is not in till event 12 ! , only four hours time!
Now I have sat through Ireland Egypt in Italia 90, Arsenal Aston Villa in the autumn of George Graham the last day of a Cricket test match that is destined for a draw. So I am not a” two minute warning” sporting person.
But the long wait at a gala can be paint drying in real time! What do we to pass the time? We become coffee addicts and connoisseurs? One an hour and can rate the NAC’s
americano against a Starbucks take way?
We will read a tabloid from cover to cover!
Mental arithmetic is attuned. If 100 children line up for 100 freestyle, it takes the two minutes per race over ten lanes, great twenty minutes. But false starts, announcements, medal ceremonies can throw a snake into the time ladder.
We volunteer for time keeping to keep the time moving.
Your fellow club parent goes from your idle small talk stranger, to your friend, your financial adviser.counsellor, therapist…!
The funny thing is you get used to gala world. You take an interest in all club swimmers races and before you know it can recite their Pb’s before their dates of birth!
When race fatigue sets in, relays come along to perk everyone up. Swimming is an individual sport. (whilst part of a team),so the swimmers clearly relish the team side of relays. A close relay is a thrill to watch!
Then finals come along and rather like the gaol leaving the door open, we refuse to go home .We want to stay and watch the finals, even if our child hasn’t made it!
By the end of the weekend, we kind of miss the gala!
So rather like the pain the swimmers go through during the race, we forget about the down sides of gala weekend
Can’t wait for Switzerland!
Article courtesy of Maurice McCrohan
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Brilliant!! . Thanks for telling our (the parents) story!! Looking forward to your next article Maurice!!
Maurice – a great article – I could relate to so much of it myself. Keep up the writing!
Brilliant! a reminder of so many weekends lost!!
Great article Maurice, as Denise say it sums up the parents thoughts and feelings throughout a gala. Journalists at The Irish Times better watch out – Maurice could go freelance….. Well done. Sheila
that is brilliant Maurice! have had a request here at home….that needs to be sent into Swim Ireland to be put in their E-zine! I’m sure every parent in the country knows what you’re talking about and would appreciate it! I look forward to reading more articles you write
Thanks for telling like it really is for us parents!!
Really enjoyed your article Maurice.
Especially appreciated the coffee coments!
Well Maurice. I dont know what you do for a living, but if your not a journalist its your hidden talent..Its exactly as you said with the ink. I believe the hot choclates are to die for in Switzerland.
GREAT WRITE UP MAURICE. I SHOULD SEND YOU TO SEE MR WENGER
loved it, Maurice looking forward to next episode
Great article Maurice, nice to remember when you were writing for the youth club at St Peters in the N8 days. J
well done dad. Maybe you can do some of my essays for school!!